Valeria Arabesky

M.Sc. Student

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In collaboration with Prof. Yael Lubin, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

In my research, I focus on the interactions between the parasitoid wasp Philolema latrodecti and two of its hosts: an invasive widow spider, the brown widow - Latrodectus geometricus, and a native species in Israel, the white widow - L. pallidus. The brown widow has a unique spiky egg sac structure that may provide it protection against egg sac parasitoids and therefore advantage over local widow species within its invasion range.  

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varabesky@gmail.com